Maurice Edu is on the verge of a return from a knee injury he sustained on the last day of play when Rangers took the Scottish Premier League title last season.

The 23-year old USA international is expected to return some time in the new year and is looking forward to getting back out on the pitch and helping Rangers turn their early-season misfortunes around.

"It's been hard to miss out. Winning the league guaranteed us a place in the Champions League and I was more than excited about that," he said.

"I was really looking forward to it because the Champions League and World Cup are the tournaments you dream about playing in as a kid. But injuries are part of the game. I could be upset about it but that won't change what is done.

"All I can do is look ahead and try to get fully fit as soon as possible."

Edu said he wanted to make sure his knee was back to full strength before returning and does not rue his decision to take the patient recovery route.

"I was definitely expecting to be back for the Champions League and hoping to catch at least a few of the games," he added.

"It's been disappointing the injury has taken longer but I don't regret it. I wanted to make sure my knee was perfect and be in a condition where I would not be hesitating at all."